S. Korea calls for Russia’s support to bring peace to Korean Peninsula

South Korea on Monday called for Russia’s active support and cooperation for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the defense ministry said Monday, days after the North fired two short-range ballistic missiles in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Vice Defense Minister Park Jae-min made the call during strategic dialogue with his Russian counterpart Alexander Fomin in Seoul, expressing concerns over the North’s missile launches Thursday.

“Deputy Defense Minister Fomin said Russia also supports our government’s Korea peace process, and stressed that they will continue diplomatic efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula,” the ministry said in a release.

The two sides signed an agreement to boost defense cooperation and vowed to expand regular consultative channels and senior-level personnel exchanges, it said.

During the talks, Park also expressed deep concerns over the situation in Myanmar, denouncing its military and police forces’ violent crackdown on protesters.

Prior to his Seoul visit, Fomin held talks with Myanmar coup leader Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw and vowed to strengthen bilateral military cooperation, calling Myanmar “Russia’s reliable ally and strategic partner,” according to TASS news agency.